Pickled Sliced Cucumbers

Ok, so its not the season for pickling things whatsoever but as soon as the sun pokes  out, I want to plant and pickle so here goes...
I like the sliced pickled cucumbers because they are easier to use in sandwiches, salads, on meats etc. This is inspired by a recipe I found in a Danish cookbook by Trine Hahnemann (Det Skandinaviske Køkken).

Ingredients:
2-3 english cucumbers cut into thin-ish slices
1 bundle of Dill separated off the stalk into approx. 1" pieces

4 cups white vinegar
2 cups sugar
2.5 teaspoons salt
juice of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon whole pepper corns

Instructions:
Put the vinegar, sugar and salt in a pot and bring to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, add the lemon juice and cool down.

put the sliced cucumbers, dill and pepper corns in a large scolded (this can be done in  the dish washer) pickle jar - just squeeze it all in there.

Pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and seal the jar. Next day there will be room for more cucumbers and you can add more if you wish. 

Let the pickles rest for 24 hours before eating. Store the pickles in a dark cabinet until you open the jar - thereafter they need to be stored in the fridge and should be used within 2 months.

Light Pasta Salad

I love this Pasta salad because of its lightness and great taste. It is inspired by a recipe by Elise Bauer on  Simply Recipes that I found years ago: 


You Need: 
16 oz torchiette pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1.5 cups cherry tomatoes - chopped
3/4 cups chopped olives 
2 handfulls pine cone seeds 
1/2 cup basil pesto 
1 cup peas
1/4 cup basil leaves chopped
salt and pepper to taste 

Instructions  
cook the pasta al dente (approx 10-11 minutes) in salted water and strain. 
Mix in a tablespoon of olive oil to prevent the pasta getting sticky and let it cool down.
Gently mix everything else in  and then it is ready to serve.

Enjoy! 

HUMMUS

This is a very simple recipe for a beautifully plain hummus. I personally like my hummus to taste like hummus, not garlic or sun-dried tomatoes and this is exactly that

You Need:

1 can garbanzo beans
2 heaping tablespoons Tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
salt to taste

Instructions: put everything in the food processor and blend! Consume!!

Butternut Squash & Sage Saute'

Butternut squash is one of my favorite autumn veggies great in soup as well as a side dish like this.

You Need: 
1 butternut squash 
3-4 tablespoons butter
Approx 15 fresh leaves of sage 
Salt and pepper to taste


Instructions: 
Peel and shred the butternut squash (I use the food processor for the shredding) 
Finely chop the fresh sage leaves
Melt the butter in the pan, when browned add the butternut squash and sage and saute' for approximately 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy